Advocaat ready to build on past success

Russia may have missed out on this year's FIFA World Cup and made a slow start to UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying, yet boss Dick Advocaat is aiming high in his new job, a role he is relishing following his time in the country as a club coach.

After taking over in the summer, Advocaat began his competitive reign with a 2-0 away win against Andorra last month, but Russia were then beaten by Slovakia at home. It came as a shock to the Dutchman. "Yes, we didn't expect to lose," Advocaat, whose side dominated possession only to lose to Miroslav Stoch's solitary strike in Moscow, told UEFA.com. "We didn't deserve to lose, but that's not important in football: if you win, you win."

Philosophical though he is about that setback, Advocaat has no doubt what his team now have to do in their next Group B qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "Because of losing that game, yes, in principle we have to beat Ireland and Macedonia. Saying and doing are two different things, though, but both games are very important, because of the game against Slovakia."

Under Advocaat's fellow Dutchman and predecessor Guus Hiddink, Russia failed to qualify for the World Cup and the new man in charge is determined to make sure they do not sit out a second successive major tournament. "It's quite simple – we have to qualify, that's our first goal." If that initial aim is achieved, the 63-year-old will demand his side target the top prize. "If we do qualify, we try to do well. I think if you go to a tournament you go to win. That must always be your idea."

Advocaat knew exactly what to expect when taking the Russia reins. Besides being a veteran of four national-team positions, he also spent three years at the FC Zenit St. Petersburg helm, guiding the club to domestic and European glory. "It helped me with the expectation," he added. "With the prizes we won at Zenit it's easier to come in. Everybody understood why they took me on, so to step in is much easier than if they hired, for example, another foreign coach. In that way it was an advantage."

Knowledge of the country’s culture also helped. "All countries have their own speciality, and Russia's no different. For me it was important to come in because I know the culture, I know the players." Again, his time in St Petersburg has proved useful. "The majority of the Russia team comes from Zenit, so probably that was also the reason they chose me for the job."

Now it is a case of getting those players to gel, something Advocaat feels is one of his main responsibilities. "Team spirit is very important in national teams. The coach has to do that kind of thing." It is early days in both the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying campaign and Advocaat's tenure, yet the venerable coach is confident he can lead a Russian resurgence on the road to Poland-Ukraine. "The good thing for me is that the majority of the players who worked under Guus Hiddink, they're still there. So they know what to do."